Pinching Myself
by likeyoumeanit
Summary: Sometimes dreams can't quite live up to reality. This is what Anna finds out when she goes to a Big Time Rush concert on her 18th birthday.


**AN: Happy birthday Anna! This is all for you! I hope you love it! **

"So I really just want to make a sign that says "I'm Legal" for the show tomorrow." I sigh as me and my two best friends exchange paints and brushes over the three white t-shirts that lay out in front of us.

"Anna you totally should!" Sam laughs as she bends over to exam the sleeve of her shirt.

"That's totally hilarious you really should do it." Elly chimes in before squeezing a blob of red paint onto her own shirt.

"I don't know, maybe. We'll see. I might just make it say something about it being my birthday." I explain pausing to look at my shirt. "Okay I'm done. What do you guys think?"

* * *

"Okay so just remember doors open at 6 so i'll be here at 2. We can grab a bite to eat before we get in line." Sam tells us as we all walk to my front door.

"Got it. You have our tickets right Sam?" Elly asks as she fishes her car keys out of her purse.

"Yeah you have them right?" I ask almost freaking out.

"Yes I have them. They've been hanging on my memo board for about 2 months now." Sam laughs coming forward to give us hugs. "Get some rest birthday girl!"

We say our goodbyes and I watch from my doorway as Sam leaves first and Elly follows behind her. As soon as both cars have disappeared from view I shut the door and let out a squeal. Luckily no one was home except for me so I didn't need to explain my outburst to my mom and dad. I all but skip back to the dining room where the three of us have stored our shirts while the paint dries. I can feel my cheeks already in pain as I can't stop the smile on my face.

"I'm so excited!" I shout out in a sing song voice while doing a little dance. I'm interrupted by the front door opening and my parents calling out for me.

"Anna!"

"Coming!" I shout back before walking out normally to meet them.

"Samantha and Elly have left?" My mom asks me curiously looking to see if my two best friends were going to pop out at her.

"Yeah. They left like 5 minutes ago."

"So you girls finished the stuff for the concert tomorrow?" My dad asks pointing to my paint stained hands.

"Yeah the shirts are in the dining room drying. I'm thinking of making a sign though." I tell them.

* * *

"Goodnight mom! Goodnight dad!" I call out as I make my way upstairs carrying the freshly decorated sign with me. I hear them call their goodnight just before I shut my bedroom door. Carefully I place my sign across my desk before grabbing some pajamas and getting ready to take a shower.

Once all traces of fabric paint, marker ink, and glitter glue are gone I hop out and dry myself off before slipping into the shorts and tank top i picked out. I jump into my bed with the logic that the faster i get to sleep the faster tomorrow comes.

As I make myself comfortable I can see the glitter on my poster shining off of the moonlight peeking through the blinds on my windows and I feel a rush of excitement hit me. I'm smiling like an idiot as I finally drift off.

* * *

"I can't believe you guys made those signs." I say my mouth still gaping even after knowing for hours what my two best friends did.

"Well we couldn't let such a prime opportunity such as this just go by us." Elly winks holding her "She's legal!" sign on her lap.

"Yeah but still!" I answer her flabbergasted.

"Still nothing. These signs are genius. One of them is bound to notice." Sam says bouncing her own sign off her knee. "Plus along with your sign they've definitely got to be the most unique here."

We all look around at the crowd of fans holding bright neon poster board signs. Most were just shout outs to specific band members or clever plays on song titles and lyrics but not one girl there seemed to have the same idea as us.

"I guess." I admit as a bit of nerves settle in my stomach. What if they do notice, especially Carlos. will they think it's funny or just weird. I tell myself that they probably won't even see it among the sea of signs and it makes me feel a little better.

* * *

"Alright well we're going to slow things down a bit. This song right here has to be one of our favorites of our first album." Kendall announces as the fans erupt in knowing screams. The stage crew helps set up 8 stools in the front of the stage.

"Wait they have 8 chairs?" Elly notes after the stage crew exits back into the shadows.

"Yeah they do. You think they're going to each pick their own "worldwide" girl?" I ask excitedly.

"Maybe!" Sam yells not letting her eyes leave the stage.

"They're probably going to pick some little girls but wouldn't it be awesome if they saw us back here." Elly sighs as her eyes follow Kendall as he paces onstage.

"So here's the deal. As you may have noticed we've got twice as many stools on stage as normal." James shouts into his microphone to be heard over the roar of the crowd.

"Now usually for this song we pick one lucky fan to join us up on stage." Logan adds as the 4 boys make their way off stage and into the crowd below causing everyone to scream and yell louder.

"But this tour we want to do even more than that and invite 4 lucky fans onstage with us. Now how does that sound to you?" Carlos laughs into his mic.

The crowd reaches a new level of loudness as everyone climbs to their feet and even some to their chairs to be seen. I hear both Sam and Elly on either side of me screaming their lungs out holding up their signs. My arms are killing me from jumping with both arms up in the air but I don't feel the pain as I see Carlos making his way up our aisle.

"Hey hold up, is that true? Is it really your birthday?" He asks as he stops several feet away from us. My heart stops. For a second I feel like the world has disappeared under my feet until I feel Sam and Elly's death grip on my shoulders. I nod trying not to cry.

"And what do those other signs say?" I hear Kendall say as he comes up behind Carlos. ""She's Legal! WOOHOO!" and it's pointing to the other girl" He says reading Elly's sign out loud for the benefit of those that can't see it.

""I found your Worldwide girl!" also with an arrow pointing to the birthday girl." Logan reads Sam's sign as he joins the other 2 boys.

"Well Birthday girl I'd be honored if you'd be my worldwide girl." Carlos says into the microphone as he walks up to my seat and reaches for my hand. You can hear the whole stadium let out a chorus of "awws" as I nod my head furiously.

"She said yes everyone!" Carlos exclaims excitedly pulling me into the aisle with him, Kendall and Logan. He starts to lead me towards the stage beofre I hear Kendall and Logan speak into their mics.

"And you know what?" Kendall says.

"Kendall and I decided that being that selfless for a friend means you deserve something special too." Logan continues.

Kendall comes forward and offers Elly and Sam each a hand. He pulls them out of their seats and into the aisle to follow Carlos and I back to the stage. Logan offers his hand to Sam and I can see her internally flailing as she accepts it.

I pinch myself a good dozen times before we make it onto the stage where James is already waiting with his worldwide girl.

They situate us on the stools before taking their owns seats.

"Now what are your names ladies? Let's start with the birthday girl," Carlos says slinging his arm around me.

"Anna" I say into the microphone he holds out in front of me.

"Happy Birthday Anna!" He says pulling the mic back. He winks back to the Dustin and the boys as Dustin begins strumming the all too familiar notes of the Birthday Song.

* * *

They get the crowd to sing to me and I'm pretty sure I'm crying ugly tears by now but i don't care. Carlos turns to me at the end of the song and kisses my cheek bone and then wiping the tears off them. I make to pinch myself once more and I hear him chuckle to himself before turning his attention back to the fans not on stage.

The band kicks in with the introduction to "Worldwide" and soon James is serenading his girl Krystle. I make it through the whole song without falling apart which was really hard to do with Carlos constantly holding my hand or putting his arm around my shoulder and hugging me.

Soon we're being led off stage and being escorted back to our seats by security. The rest of the show goes on amazingly. The three of us still on a high from our Worldwide experience. Before the end of the show a security guard finds us and asks us to follow him. We, plus the 4th Worldwide girl and her friend, are brought backstage. We get to watch the end of the show from there.

They leave the stage to change for their encore performance so we're told that we have to wait a little while longer. Eventually after the stadium empties the boys finally come over to us. They've changed into their own clothes instead of stage clothes. They look so exited to see us that for a moment I forget that they're famous popstars and not ridiculously good looking guy friends.

Carlos comes in for a hug and I think to myself that he smells incredibly good for someone who just danced and sag their butt off on stage for 2 hours. We're all led into their green room where we're introduced to their band and crew. And for the next half hour we all just hang out. I go to pinch myself again before Carlos's hand stops me.

"This is definitely real." He smiles at me making me melt.

* * *

In the car on the ride home the three of us are all talking a mile a minute and the smiles will not leave our faces,

"Kendall is such a sweetheart in person. I will never forget this night." Elly sighs dreamily after we manage to calm down.

"I can't believe how real and down to earth they are. Especially Logan. He was such a goofball. I think I may have laughed off 5 pounds if that's even possible." Sam adds.

I don't add to the conversation just yet as the last moments of my encounter with Carlos run through my mind. "He called me beautiful." I say.

"WHAT?!" Both Elly and Sam scream causing their voices to crack a bit from all the previous screaming.

"Yeah it was right as we were leaving. He gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek before telling me "Happy Birthday Beautiful.""

They both stare at me before squealing excitedly.

"Tonight was amazing." Sam sighs happily. I see Elly nodding in agreement out of the corner of my eye.

"It was beyond amazing." I say leaning my head against the passenger side window. I look down at my arm at the bruises that were already beginning to form from all my pinching. I know that i'll have to explain it to my parents tomorrow but for right now all I can think is how totally worth it it was.

**AN: TROLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL **

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